Draw-gear and buffing apparatus.



PATENTED OCT. 27, 1903.

' W. s. JONES.

DRAW GEAR AND BUFPING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16, v1901. RENEWED 001. 2. 1903- v2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

No. 742,791. PATENTED'OGT. 2 1903.

W. s. JONES. DRAW GEAR AND BUFFING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 16, 1901. RENEWED OUT. 2, 1903- NO MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

/////////l//fl' S a E=II As is UNITED STATES mated; October 27, 190s.

PATENT OFFICE.

PENNSYLVANIA. I

DRAW-GEAR AND BUFFING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 742,791, dated October 27,

Application filed September 16,1901. Renewed October 2, 1903. Serial No. 175,526. (No modelt) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIS S. JoNEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Draw-Gear and Buffing Apparatus; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates in general to drawgear and buffing apparatus, and more particularly to that type of such apparatus in which a frictional resistance is produced and exerted to reduce or dissipate the shocks due to the pulling and bufing strain occurring in the starting and stopping of a train.

The Master Car-Builders regulations permit a comparatively limited relative movement between the draw-bar and draft-timbers of a car, and in order that the sudden shocks in pulling and buffing may be absorbed or gradually transmitted from the coupler to the car-frame it is necessary that apparatus should be interposed between the draw-bar and draft-timbers of a car capable of exerting a great resistance while its members are being relatively moved the available longitudinal distance. It is also necessary that the parts of the apparatus should be gradually returned to their normal positions when the strain is relieved, so as to avoid the injury to the draft-rigging of the car which would result from a sudden and forcible recoil of the parts of the interposed apparatus.

The object of my invention is to provide a friction draw-gear and buffing apparatus in which the requisite retardation to the movement of the draw-bar relative to the drafttimbers of the car in buffing and pulling is produced by a series of any desired number of wedge-shaped friction devices, which during the longitudinal movement of the drawbar relative to the draft-timbers of the car, the distance conforming to the Master Gar- Builders standard, are relatively moved transversely to the line of draft, thereby absorbing or dissipating the shocks occurring in pulling and buffing.

My invention, generally stated, consists in a series of friction devices having inclined or wedge-shaped engaging surfaces,

which are forced into frictional contact bya longitudinal movement, and alternate devices are then moved transversely to the line of draft to produce the requisite retardation to the movement of the draw-bar through the engagement of their wedge-shaped surfaces with the corresponding wedge-shaped surfaces of the intermediate devices.

My invention further consists in a hollow casing having inclined interior walls within which are located friction devices, a series of such devices engaging each of the opposite inclined interior walls of the casing, and a series of friction devices having inclined or wedge-shaped end portions interposed between the opposite se- 7o ries of triangular devices, so arranged that a longitudinal movement of the draw-bar forces the several series of devices intofrictional engagement, whereupon the inclined interior walls of the casing move the triangular wedge-shaped devices transversely to the line of draft and relatively to the series of interposed devices, thereby creating the resistance necessary to secure the gradual transmission of a pulling 01' buffing bar to the draft-timbers of the car.

My invention will be more fully described hereinafter with reference to the acco1npanying drawings, in which the same is illustrated as embodied in a convenient and practical form, and in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved draw-gear and buffing apparatus with the upper walls of the'hollow portions of the casing removed view similar to Fig. 1, with the parts of the apparatus in the positions which they assume during a buffing strain; Fig. 3, a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a modified embodiment of my invention with the parts of the apparatus 5 in the positions they assume during a pulling strain; Fig. 4, a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the modified form of the invention subjected to a buffing strain; Fig. 5, a perspective view of a hollow end portion of the cas- 10o ing; Fig. 6, a perspective view of one of the triangular or wedge shaped friction devices;

'ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE WESTING- triangular wedge-shaped 65 force from the draw- 80 to show the parts within; Fig. 2, a

and Fig. 7, a perspective view of one of the friction devices, which isadapted to be interposed between the wedge-shapedfriction devices.

Similar reference characters are used to designate similar parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, reference-letters A A indicate guides adapted to be secured to the drafttimbers of a car, such guides being provided with stops at a at the ends thereof.

ployed, the form thereofshown serving merely to illustrate the operation of my invention.

B indicates a draw-bar to which are secured the ends of a strap or yoke b, which surrounds the friction apparatus in a manner well known to the art.

D D indicate followers which are normally in engagement with the stops at CL and are ongaged by the end of the draw-bar B and the strap b, respectively.

A casing or housing 0 is provided with hollow end portions 0 0, connected by side portions Z,preferably formed integral therewith. The opposite interior surfaces of the hollow end portions 0 c are inclined, as shown at X, while the interior surfaces of the upper and lower sides of each of the end portions are provided with longitudinally-extending ribs y.

Interior followersE are located between the end portions of the casing and are supported by and guided on the sides Z thereof, as clearly indicated in the drawings. Interposed between the followers E E is a spring F, the opposite ends of which engage the inner faces of the interior followers E E. The displacement of the spring may be prevented by any suitable meanssuch, for instance, as guide projections G G, extending inwardly from the vertical faces of the followers E E.

The followers D and E are provided with reduced portions which extend withinthe hollow end portions of the casing. Interposed between the reduced portions of the pairs of followers 'D and E are series of triangular friction devices H, which engage the inclined interior surfaces X of the hollow end portions of the casing. Interposed between the series of triangular friction devices are intermediate devices H, having inclined or wedgeshaped end portions which are engaged by the portions of the triangular devices H, projecting toward the centers of the hollow end portions, of the casing. Each of the -inter posed friction devices H is provided with notches at its side edges which engage the ribs g formed on the upper and lower interior su rfaces of the hollowend portions of the casing.

The casing C, the-exterior end surfaces of which may be cored out, as shown in Fig. 5, is

supported throughits engagement withguides secured to the draft-timbers, so as to be capable of a bodilymovement in either direction.

The operation of the embodimentof myin- I Anysuit: able form of guides and stops may be emvention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 is as fol-' lows: When a buffing strain is exerted upon the draw-bar B through the coupler, the follower D, engaged by the draw-bar, is forced against the series of friction devices in the adjacent end portion of the casing, thereby moving the same against the tension of the spring F, exerted through the follower E. The friction devices H H are therefore forced into frictional engagement and the triangular devices H are moved transversely to the line of draft through their engagement with the inclined interior side walls of the casing. The movement of the triangular devices H toward the center of the hollow end portion of the casing produces a'relative movement between such devices and the interposed frictional devices H, thereby retarding the movement of the draw-bar and gradually applying the strain to the draft-timbers of the car. The follower D, located at the other end of the apparatus, is prevented from moving during a bufiing strain by the stops 0. a, with which it engages. The engagement between the ends of the series of triangular devices H and the opposite inclined surfaces X moves the casing bodily toward the rear follower D, and thereby forces the series of friction devices H transversely to the line of draft and moves them relatively to the series of interposed devices H, located within the rear hollow end portion of the casing. The movement of the draw-bar B is therefore retarded by the relative movement between the series of friction devices in both ends of the casing.

The operation of my improved apparatus when a strain is exerted upon the draw-bar in the opposite direction to that describednamely, in pullingis similar in all respects to the operation above described, which takes place in buffing, except that the follower D adjacent to the draw-bar, is heldimmovable through engagement with the stops at a, while the follower D at the other end of the apparatus is forced into contact with the series of friction devices in the hollow end portion of the casing adjacent to the end of the yoke b. The resulting relative movement between the various parts of the apparatus is the same both in pulling and in buffing. When the strain upon the draw-bar is relieved, the followers D D are gradually returned to their normal positions in engagement with the stops a a bythe expansion of the spring, such expansion moving the followers E out wardly, thereby returning the series of friction devices to their normal positions, the inclined engaging surfaces between the series of devices H and H insuring the return of the series H to their normal positions relatively to the casing, while the grooves 71, through their engagement with the ribs y on the casing, insure the retention of the devices H in their proper positions during the releasingaction of the apparatus.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I have illustrated a modi fication of my invention, in which the casing C is provided with a single hollow portion 0, having inclined interior opposite surfaces X. The side portions Z of the casing are connected by a transverse portion Z Followers D and E are located on either side of the hollow portion and are provided with reduced extensions d and 6', respectively, between which are interposed series of friction devices arranged substantially the same as are the friction devices in either end of the casingiu the embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Ribs y are provided on the interior upper and lower surfaces of the hollow portion, which are engaged by the grooves formed in the side edges of the intermediate friction devices H. A spring F is inserted between the interior follower E and the portion Z extending between the side portion Z of the casing. Suitable guides A, having stops a at either end thereof, are secured to the draft-timbers of the car and normally engage the follower D and the cross-piece Z of the casing C, respectively. The draw-bar B is provided with a yoke b, which surrounds the apparatus, the follower D being normally engaged by the end of the draw-bar and the cross-piece Z of the casing normally engaged by the end of the yoke.

The operation of the embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4 will be clearly apparent from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, and is as follows: When a pulling strain is exerted upon the draw-bar, the yoke 12 moves the casing 0 in the direction of the draw-bar, and thereby forces the follower E against the series of friction devices through the medium of the interposed'spring F. As the follower is held. immovable owing to its engagement with the stops a, the friction devices are forced into engagement with each other and the opposing series of triangular devices H- are moved toward the longitudinal center of the casing, and consequently are moved transversely with respect to the'intermediate friction devices H, thereby producing the resistance necessary to retard the movement of the draw-bar. The positions that the parts of the apparatus assume during a pulling strain are indicated in Fig. 3.

The operation of the apparatus during a buffing action is similar to that described, except that the casing O is held immovable through its engagement with the stops a, while the follower D is moved through contact with the draw-bar toward the follower E. The interposed friction devices are therefore forced into engagement with each other, and the series of triangular-shaped devices H are moved transversely to the line of draft and relatively to the interposed devices H through their engagement with the inclined interior walls X of the casing. TheIspring F resists the movement of the follower E in buffing and serves to impose frictional resistance upon the series of friction devices. When the buffing or pulling strain is relieved, the expansion of the spring F returns the parts to their normal positions in engagement with the stops a and causes the series of friction devices to be restored to their normal positions.

It is evident from the foregoing description that I have produced a draw-gear and bufiing apparatus in which series of wedge-shaped friction devices are moved transversely to the line of draft and relatively to intermediate friction devices with which they frictionally engage both in pulling and in buffing. All of the friction devices therefore are rendered operative whenever the draw-bar is subjected to a strain, and serve to absorb or gradually transmit to the draft-timbers of a car any force exerted upon the draw-bar either in pulling or in buffing.

While I have described more or less-precisely the details of construction, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, as I contemplate changes in form, the proportion of parts, and the substitution of equivalents, as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a hollow casin g having inclined interior opposite surfaces, of a series of wedge-shaped friction devices engaging each of said inclined surfaces, a series of friction devices having wedge-shaped end portions interposed between adjacent members of the opposite series of said firstmentioned friction devices, and means for moving said series offriction devices longitudinally with relation to the casing, substantially as described.

2. In a draw-gear and buffing apparatus, the combination with a hollow casing having inclined interior opposite surfaces, of a series of wedgeshaped friction devices engaging each of said inclined surfaces, a series of friction devices having wedge-shaped end portions interposed between adjacent members of the opposite series of said first-mentioned friction devices, and means connecting said casing and said friction devices to the draw-bar and to the draft-timbers of the car, whereby said casing and friction devices are relatively moved longitudinally both in pulling and in buffing, substantially as described.

3. In a draw-gear and buffing apparatus, the combination with a hollow casing having inclined interior opposite surfaces and also having longitudinal ribs on its intermediate interior surfaces, of a series of wedge-shaped friction devices engaging each of said inclined surfaces, 3. series of friction devices each having grooves in their opposite sides engaging said ribs and also having wedge-shaped end portions interposed between adjacent members of the opposite series of said firstmentioned friction devices, and means connecting said casing and friction devices to the draw-bar and to the draft-timbers of the car whereby said casing and friction devices are relatively moved longitudinally, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a casing having hollow ends, each of said ends having inclined interior opposite surfaces, of series of wedgeshaped friction devices located in said hollow ends and engaging each of said inclined sur faces therein, a series of friction devices also within each of said hollow ends and having wedge-shaped end portions interposed between adjacent members of the opposite series of said first-mentioned friction devices, and

I means for coincidentally moving said friction devices longitudinally relatively to the surrounding hollow ends of the casing, substantially as described.

5. In a draw-gear and bufiing apparatus, the combination with a casinghavinginclined interior opposite surfaces,of a series of wedgeshaped friction devices engaging each of said inclined surfaces, a series of friction devices I having wedge-shaped end portions interposed between adjacent members of the opposite se ries of said first-mentioned friction devices,

means for yieldingly resisting the movement of said devices, and means for moving said devices longitudinally into frictional contact, said first-mentioned series of friction devices being moved transversely to the line of draft through their engagement with the inclined said casing, substantially grooves in their opposite sides engaging said ribs and also having wedge-shaped end portions interposed between adjacent members of the opposite series of said first-mentioned devices, and means for coincidentally moving said friction devices longitudinally with relation to the surrounding hollow ends of the casing, substantially as described. 7. 'In a draw-gear and buffing apparatus, a friction device comprising wedge-shaped end portions and an intermediate portion having transverse grooves across the edges thereof, substantially as described.

8. In a draw-gear and buffing casing comprising a hollow end portion having inclined interior oppositesurfaces and ribs formed on the interior surfaces intermediate of said inclined surfaces, substantially as described.

Intestimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIS S. JONES.

apparatus, a

Witnesses:

GEO. L. WILKINSON, CLARA O. CUNNINGHAM. 

